Notabeln declaration

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The Notabeln Declaration was a declaration published in the Berlin press on November 12, 1880 , in which 75 eminent scientists, entrepreneurs and politicians expressed their condemnation of the anti-Semitic movement.

context

Anti-Semitism , which had been smoldering for a number of years , received an upswing at the end of the 1870s, during the economic depression after the " Founders Crash ". Decisive for this were the agitations of the court preacher Adolf Stoecker as well as the publication of the article “Our prospects” by Heinrich von Treitschke in the Prussian yearbooks , from which the so-called Berlin anti-Semitism dispute developed. In the course of 1880 the first acts of violence occurred, for example on November 8, 1880 in the so-called Kantorowicz affair . Members of the anti-Semitic Berlin movement demanded in an anti- Semitic petition that Jews should be excluded from sovereign positions, especially in the judiciary and teaching, and that immigration of foreign Jews should be prevented. The petition found over 200,000 signatories.

text

The Notabeln declaration read:

“Hot battles have united our fatherland into a mighty, ambitious empire . This unit has been achieved in that in the national consciousness of the Germans the feeling of the necessary unity triumphed over the tribal and religious antagonisms that our nation like no other had broken. To allow such differences to be paid to the individual members is unjust and ignoble and affects above all those who are honestly and seriously endeavored to throw off the special kind in loyal cooperation with the nation. They perceive it as a breach of loyalty on the part of those with whom they are conscious of striving for the same ends, and this prevents what the common goal is and remains: the equalization of all the contradictions that have had an impact within the German nation.

In an unexpected and deeply shameful way, the racial hatred and fanaticism of the Middle Ages is now being revived in various places, especially in the largest cities of the empire, and directed against our Jewish fellow citizens. It is forgotten how many of them have brought benefit and honor to the fatherland through diligence and talent in trade and commerce , in art and science . The rule of law is broken, as is the rule of honor that all Germans are equal in rights and duties. The implementation of this equality does not depend solely on the tribunals, but on the conscience of every individual citizen.

Like a contagious epidemic, the revival of an old delusion threatens to poison the conditions that have united Christians and Jews on the basis of tolerance in state and community , in society and family . If the leaders of this movement are only preaching envy and disapproval in the abstract, the masses will not delay drawing the practical conclusions from that talk. On the legacy of Lessing shake men on the pulpit and the lectern should announce that our culture has overcome the isolation of that tribe, which was once the world the worship of the one God gave. You can already hear the call for exceptional laws and the exclusion of Jews from this or that profession and gain, from awards and positions of trust. How long will it be before the bunch joins these too?

There is still time to face confusion and avert national shame ; nor can the artificially fanned passion of the crowd be broken by the resistance of prudent men. Our call goes out to Christians of all parties, for whom religion is the good news of peace; our call goes out to all Germans who care about the ideal inheritance of their great princes, thinkers and poets. Defend the basis of our common life in a public declaration and calm instruction: Respect for every creed, equal rights, equal sun in competition, equal recognition of good efforts for Christians and Jews. "

Signatory

The initiative for the declaration of notation came from the ranks of the Liberal Association , the former left wing of the National Liberals . They were joined by representatives of the German Progressive Party and the National Liberals. Specifically, the signatories were:

  • Professor Dr. med. Albrecht
  • Professor Dr. Arndt
  • CF Arndt, senior citizen of the Berlin merchant class
  • Professor A. Auwers
  • Realschule director Dr. Brook
  • Beisert , Member of Parliament and Syndicus of the Berlin merchants
  • City School Council Prof. Dr. Bertram
  • Professor Bruns , Doctor of Law
  • Dr. Cauer, city school councilor
  • Ed. Conrad, president of the oldest of the Berlin merchants
  • Contenius, lawyer
  • A. Delbrück , senior citizen of the Berlin merchant class
  • G. Dietrich, vice-president of the elders of the Berlin merchant class
  • Professor Dr. Droysen
  • Go Councilor Mayor Duncker
  • Commerzienrath Eger
  • Dr. Angel go Ober-Reg.-Rath.
  • Ad. Enslin , publisher and bookseller.
  • Lord Mayor Dr. from Forckenbeck .
  • Professor Dr. Forester , director of the observatory.
  • A. Frentzel , senior citizen of the Berlin merchant class.
  • Dr. Gallenkamp , business school director.
  • Go Commerzienrath Ms. Gelpcke.
  • City elder Gesenius.
  • Professor Dr. Gneiss .
  • Commerzienrath E. Hergersberg.
  • Hermes, City Councilor.
  • Professor Dr. Hofmann , e.g. Currently Rector of the University.
  • Professor Dr. Hofmann , high school director.
  • Dr. Friedrich Kapp .
  • Karsten, lawyer.
  • Jul. Kauffmann , senior citizen of the Berlin merchant class.
  • G. Keibel, senior citizen of the Berlin merchant class.
  • Professor Kirchhoff , member of the Academy of Sciences.
  • Dr. Koerte, go. Sanitary Council.
  • H. Kochhann, elder of the Berlin merchant class.
  • Go Ober-Reg. Rath. a. D. Kieschke, Member of Parliament.
  • Koffka, lawyer.
  • District Court Director Kowalzig.
  • Cancer, lawyer.
  • Dr. Kürten, city councilor.
  • Laué, lawyer.
  • Lesse , lawyer.
  • District Court Director Lessing .
  • Dr. Lisco , preacher.
  • Professor Dr. Th. Mommsen .
  • Noeldechen, City Councilor.
  • P. Parey , publisher and bookseller.
  • Hans Reimer , bookseller.
  • Go Medicinalrath Reichert , member of the Academy of Sciences
  • Rickert , MP.
  • Runge, City Councilor.
  • Sarre, City Councilor.
  • Professor Dr. W. Scherer .
  • Dr. Schroeder , professor of medicine
  • Schmeidler , preacher.
  • Schrader , Railway Director.
  • Schroeder, Chamber Court Councilor.
  • Professor Dr. Schwalbe , junior high school director.
  • Dr. Werner Siemens , member of the Academy of Sciences
  • Dr. Georg Siemens , Director of Deutsche Bank.
  • E. Stephan, Go. Commerzienrath.
  • Stephan, Government and State Oekonomierath a. D.
  • Struve , MP.
  • House smoke, lawyer.
  • Dr. Thomas, preacher.
  • Professor Dr. Virchow .
  • Professor Dr. Wattenbach .
  • Professor Dr. Weber , member of the Academy of Sciences.
  • Dr. Max Weber , City Councilor and Member of Parliament.
  • Dr. Wegscheider, go. Sanitary Council.
  • von Wilmowski , lawyer.
  • Cell , city syndicus.

literature

  • Heinrich Rickert (without naming): Anti-Semite mirror. Publishing and printing by AW Kafemann, Danzig 1890. (online)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Heinrich Rickert (without naming): Antisemiten-Spiegel. Publishing and printing by AW Kafemann, Danzig 1890. Page 19ff. (on-line)
  2. ↑ Declaration of the 75 personalities in public life against anti-Semitism (November 12, 1880)